For me, it's hard to decide. I'm 33 and married with no children. We're thinking about kids soon, so my future spending is more of a challenge to estimate. I have a lot of spreadsheets. Based on current spending and saving, I could get to FI at around 34-35. But if I'm no longer spending my time at work, I'll inevitably want to do things that cost more money (like more travelling and watching movies) even if I do those things inexpensively (e.g. hostels and Netflix). And having kids will increase spending some more. I'd also like to do more for charity (which could include volunteering, but sometimes giving money can be more effective). And the stock market could be overvalued a bit, so I'd like a bit of cushion for slower returns. I'm the kind of person where I think it's likely I'll be industrious my whole life, and perhaps in ways that bring in revenue, but I don't want to feel like I need to earn money. I feel like it's easier to stay in a job that is OK (but not what I'd choose to do with my time) and enables me to save a lot then to put effort into getting into something less remunerative later. Hard to predict how I'll feel when my time is relatively unconstrained (except for childcare, etc).

So probably 36 or 37 for me. DW is younger and needs to put in a few years beyond my projected retirement date to get SS and Medicare credits, so that will help pad the 'stash while I'm changing diapers and teaching the alphabet instead of earning money.

I could possibly go a year or three sooner but there are circumstances at work that are "sticky". I'm ok with it though because it will allow for an unbreakable safety margin if things go according to plan.

I plan to cut my hours at work well before fully retiring, as to free up time for fun and side projects. I expect that to happen close to age 40, depending on where our assets are. If we weren't planning on saving for 2 kids' college tuition, it might have been sooner. Still pretty far away to accurately guess (I'm 33 now)

For me, it's hard to decide. I'm 33 and married with no children. We're thinking about kids soon, so my future spending is more of a challenge to estimate. I have a lot of spreadsheets. Based on current spending and saving, I could get to FI at around 34-35. But if I'm no longer spending my time at work, I'll inevitably want to do things that cost more money (like more travelling and watching movies) even if I do those things inexpensively (e.g. hostels and Netflix). And having kids will increase spending some more. I'd also like to do more for charity (which could include volunteering, but sometimes giving money can be more effective). And the stock market could be overvalued a bit, so I'd like a bit of cushion for slower returns. I'm the kind of person where I think it's likely I'll be industrious my whole life, and perhaps in ways that bring in revenue, but I don't want to feel like I need to earn money. I feel like it's easier to stay in a job that is OK (but not what I'd choose to do with my time) and enables me to save a lot then to put effort into getting into something less remunerative later. Hard to predict how I'll feel when my time is relatively unconstrained (except for childcare, etc).

So probably 36 or 37 for me. DW is younger and needs to put in a few years beyond my projected retirement date to get SS and Medicare credits, so that will help pad the 'stash while I'm changing diapers and teaching the alphabet instead of earning money.

WoW that is impressive. How did you pull that off or pulling that off?

WoW that is impressive. How did you pull that off or pulling that off?

I've always lived frugally and worked almost constantly since 18, even during college (full time for 2 of 4 years) and grad school (1-3 jobs at a time). I started an IRA around age 20 and maxed it out every year and then maxed out 401k-type plans whenever available. Undergrad ended up being free due to going to a state school and getting grants. Grad school was free because it was a state school and I worked jobs that paid my tuition. In grad school I probably spent about $8k/yr total. I didn't have a car during grad school, had roommates, etc. I bought a cheap foreclosure during the housing crash. It's amazing how easy it is to save a lot if you just don't spend money you don't need to and keep a decent income. Admittedly, I have also worked incredibly hard and spent a lot of effort to keep expenses down. I do a lot of the things you read about here (no cable, Republic Wireless, cheap house, low food costs, almost no eating out, low utility bills, living close to work, not driving a lot, etc). But watching the money flow in each month--both from our jobs and the investments (most months anyway) and not flowing out too much feels really good.

I'm looking forward to freedom. I have so many things I want to do with the time.

FI 45, but I may not retire then. I suspect DH won't be comfortable with me retiring until 50. If so, I may work till 52 (20 years) in order to get my pension immediately rather than having to wait until 55, which would happen if retiring with 10-20 years here.

But kids would complicate plans a lot and they are hard to estimate costs (and DH and I greatly disagree about amount of college support required), so that's the big factor in whether we hit FI when I am 45.

45. I'm 30 now, and could easily do it with a family of 3 by 37, but 45 will put me at full military retirement benefits. Plus I love my job and can and have about $300,000 of 'almost' guaranteed reenlistment bonuses in those 14 or so years, that I didn't even count into my RE calculations.

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TurtleMarkets

I'll be leaving the workforce next spring when my first child is born. I'll be 26, and I'm not sure I'll ever return. I do a little freelancing on the side. My husband is likely to drop dead at the piano one day, so I'm not sure he'll ever retire, but I would assume that by his mid-forties at the latest he'll give up the software engineering work he also does.

Becoming a stay at home mom is not retiring. Dont mean to sound like a dick but tons of people do this.

Gee, it sounds like I need to grow a few more whiskers. I'm 33 now, and expect to be able retire at 51. That assumes we stay in this stupidly expensive state of Illinois in the same big house, and that I don't get any raises at work between now and then. That also coincides with the time when our 6th (and possibly last?) child will turn 18.

Downsizing our home or moving to a lower-taxed area will certainly accelerate that goal. Same with getting a raise.

FI 40. I think I'll have enough at 40, but I probably won't be totally comfortable without a salary in 5 years. But I could see taking on part time work, or working on a contract basis for a bit, or taking a "fun" job. Also depends on what DH is doing, we are not planning on retiring simultaneously.

I'm FI right now but still working as is the husband. I'm 41 and he's 43.

I imagine that we will work at our jobs maybe cutting back hours until we are in our lower or mid 50's. We'll get full pensions then from the state. Both of us have jobs we enjoy, we just work too many hours. Our mid 50's will be a perfect time for early retirement - still young enough to travel and enjoy things, and not a million years until we can get medicare. That is my biggest conundrum with early retirement is getting health insurance. The MMM method of getting a really high deductible plan just doesn't seem like the best idea. I have seen people with horrifying diseases that could easily eat up year after year high deductibles. It really isn't sound financially unless you are young.

Also paying for a dozen years or more or health insurance if I retire at this stage in my life will be a drain on the fun stuff I can do later in life.

I will be 30, as will my wife (I will be about to turn 31, she will have just turned 30).

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We are two former teachers who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, and now travel the world full time with two kids.If you want to know more about me, or how we did that, or see lots of pictures, this Business Insider profile tells our story pretty well.We (occasionally) blog at AdventuringAlong.com.You can also read my forum "Journal."

Assuming no personal, professional, or financial market disasters, I should reach my FI target net worth just after my 28th birthday. Unless I'm really enjoying my job, I will probably RE around then, too, which to me means taking some time to relax and do nothing, then eventually working on some entrepreneurial ventures and maybe doing some consulting gigs for fun and extra income.

DH has 'retired' this year at 35. He won't go back to full-time work, but in reality he's part-time SAHD and working on a side-gig.

I plan on retiring in 2.5 years, when I'm 40. I could afford to leave now, but we have a 2 year old and I want the security of a bigger 'stache. I'll also get a significant payrise next year which will see my superannuation increase a lot if I stay on a couple more years. I am considering working part-time next year though.

I'm thinking RE in 10 in my late 30s. I'm probably about FI now a few dozen thousand under my 4% SWR goal, but that includes house equity which I'd prefer not to include, it includes some rental real estate which I'll either sell or live in, and I'd rather make a lower SWR assumption.

I'm really curious what options I'll have for job flexibility in the next few years. If I get something incredibly flexible that I enjoy I can see myself working for longer.

FI at 54.5 (the year of my 55th b-day, so will have immediate access to 401k). In federal law enforcement, so could go until 57 (mandatory retirement age) if things went south with the market, but not planning to go a day past Jan. 3, 2020 if I can help it. Older than most "early retirees" around here, but considering 6 years were spent traveling the world courtesy of the U.S. Navy, 4 years were spent in college after that, and then another 3 years in law school, I'll have only had to work in the "real world" for @22 years. Plan to pursue work as a climbing guide after that (i.e., doing something I love).

Wife will hopefully follow at around the same age (55), which means she's got to work another 7 or so years after I reach FIRE.

2 ½ years away. I currently have 94k in debts and am about to head to Europe for a wedding and vacation with the kids to see family.The trip has been fully paid for and the 94k will be at 75k by the end of the year with a max rate of 3%All paid in 2 years and I have a fair bit in 401k’s and ira’s – in 2 years we should have enough to live on with no debts and a paid for house.

A freshly minted 38-year old. Might even happen on the birthday itself.

I've also considered quitting on my birthday (coincidentally, my 38th). What a great present to yourself. The only reason I probably won't is because mine sits right between Christmas and New Year's. I'd rather just have my last day before the holiday and call it good.